


Broken Promises

by Rosaline_C



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-14 00:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7991839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosaline_C/pseuds/Rosaline_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killian Jones can't break out of rom com roles. Emma Swan was the lead actress of a show that ended due to tragedy. Both actors desperately need this role on a much anticipated fantasy film. What they didn't know was that they needed each other. Actors AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing. It's all Adam and Eddy.
> 
> So my best friend, Rosa is entirely to blame. She was texting me head cannons one day and then yelled at me to write her fanfiction. So this then happened... I shouldn't start another long multi-chapter but here I am.

CHAPTER ONE 

It was three in the morning when Emma’s phone rang. 

“Regina?” Emma answered sleepily after checking the caller ID. She took a look at the time, “What’s wrong? Is Henry okay?” 

“Henry is fine, Miss Swan,” Regina reassured. Emma was annoyed now. If her son was okay, why was Regina calling in the middle of the damn night? 

“Why are you calling, Regina? I have to be up in three hours for our last day of filming." 

"That’s what I'm calling about," Regina huffed, "I found you a new role." 

~O.o.O.o.O~ 

Killian Jones needed this role. He'd been starring in rom coms for years and this was going to be his big break out role—his career would be set. It was a fantasy adventure film and he couldn't put the script down. All the characters were so layered and complex, which would be nice after all the two dimensional pretty boys that he had been playing. 

Everyone in his life had been supportive of him trying to break out of the rom com shell but he could tell that none of them really got it. He was making decent money and everyone knew who he was—as an actor he couldn't really complain. Killian wasn't happy anymore though. He wasn't challenged by these roles; he wanted to show that he could be more than just a pretty face. 

Killian sighed and rolled over in bed. It would do no good, dwelling over whether he was going to get this role or not. For now he needed sleep. 

~O.o.O.o.O~ 

A movie. An actual feature length fantasy film. That's what Regina had been calling about. Emma Swan had been the lead actress on a tv show for the past five years, until the show had suddenly been cancelled during the filming of the fifth season. For a long time, the show had been doing really well. She played a tough and troubled bail bondsperson who reluctantly starts working with the sheriff, named Hunter, of a small town. Graham and Emma had major chemistry from day one and they had even dated for a while. Then Graham had a heart attack on set and died in Emma's arms.   
Not only had the cast and crew suffered from this tragedy, but the show had suffered as well. It was only a week after Graham's funeral that the network had told them that "The Huntsman" was being cancelled. Today was the day that they were going to be filming their last ever scene for the show—Hunter's funeral. 

It wasn’t fair that Emma had lost both her friend and her job in the span of a week. Emma had been so upset about it that she had asked Regina, her agent and her son's adoptive mother, to keep Henry for the week. She didn’t want him to see how upset she was. She knew she should be there for him, after all, her son was close to Graham too, but she just couldn’t face anyone right now. 

The media was already gong crazy, saying that this was going to be the death of Emma’s career. This is one of the reasons she really needed this role. She didn’t want to be that actress that had one lead role on a tv show and then never did anything again. She needed to prove to everyone that she could get right back out there. More importantly, she needed to prove it to herself. She’d grown up from nothing and worked way too hard to get to where she is now to just give up. A lead in a movie like this was a big deal. 

According to Regina, she was perfect for the role. “Deep”, “career changing”, “award winning”: those were all words Regina had used to describe it to describe it to Emma. Now she just had to get her an audition. 

~O.o.O.o.O~ 

Emma’s audition flew by. She was still so emotionally compromised from filming Hunter’s funeral that the whole thing went by in a blur. She used her emotion to fuel the lines about being alone. The character makes a heartfelt confession about being an orphan—something Emma can relate to far too well. She put her all into it and just hoped that it would be enough. 

She was still in a daze as she left the audition, barely pausing to apologize to the man she ran into on the way out. 

She didn’t notice that the man with the dark hair and blue eyes couldn’t stop watching her until she was long out of his eyesight. 

~O.o.O.o.O~ 

“Come on, Killian, you know the part is as good as yours,” Robin told him. Killian’s best friend and agent, lovingly nicknamed Robin Hood, had been trying to calm Killian down for days. 

“But what if it isn’t?” 

“You’re the only one they’re really looking at for the role. Actresses though...” 

Killian put his empty glass down on the bar and motioned for the bartender to pour him more rum. He couldn’t stop thinking of the blonde woman he had run into outside of the casting room, and secretly hoped that she was auditioning for the role. He shouldn’t think that way but he just had a hunch she’d be perfect for it. She was as distracted as he had felt and was clearly freaking out. His role, if he got it, was a take on Captain Hook, a dashing pirate disguising himself as a prince—Prince Charles. Opposite him would be the beautiful Princess Leia, a fiery princess who had been separated from her parents, Snow White and Prince Charming, at birth due to a curse cast by the Evil Queen. Leia was going to be a tough role to play and he hoped that they found someone who would do it justice. And if that someone happened to be the blonde woman who looked as passionate about it as he was, all the better. 

“Who are they even looking at for that?” 

“I don’t really know who all is up for the role other than Regina mentioned one of her clients is hoping to get it.” 

“One of the Evil Queen’s clients? Hopefully she isn’t a complete diva?” 

“Oi, that’s my girlfriend you’re insulting.” 

“You can’t deny she can be a little difficult and her clients are even worse. Remember that dreadful Zelena woman?” 

Robin shuddered. Zelena Greene was an actress Regina had tried to book a movie for but she was clearly more interested in attempting to seduce Regina’s boyfriend than she was actually acting. 

“Point taken, but don’t tell Regina I agreed.” 

Killian laughed. “Well hopefully this actress is better than some of the clients Regina has.” 

Robin just nodded, not defending his girlfriend any further. The table shook slightly as his phone vibrated. “Locksley,” he answered. He talked for a couple minutes, mainly just “uh huh”s and “yeah”s. 

“So?” Killian prompted as he hung up. 

Robin grinned. “You got the role you lucky bastard.” 

~O.o.O.o.O~ 

“I think that’s enough,” Emma attempted to say sternly as Henry piled more sprinkles onto his ice cream. 

Emma knew she couldn’t hide from her son any longer so after her audition she called him to see if he wanted to go for ice cream. His response had been, “Duh, I’m ten.” 

“So, how was your audition?” 

“I think it went okay.” 

Henry nodded. “And your last day on ‘The Huntsman’?” 

She smiled sadly. “Bittersweet. I think the ending is brilliant and we did it justice but it was still strange...” 

“Without Graham,” he finished for her. 

When did her ten-year-old get to be so smart? “yeah, without Graham.” 

“It’s okay to miss him, you know. And it’s okay to be sad. I miss him too and you don’t have to shelter me.” 

Emma had to take a deep breath to stop herself from crying. Henry knew her so well. 

“I love you, kid,” she said pulling him in fir a hug, “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you lately as I should have been. I know you loved Graham even though we weren’t dating anymore and that losing him was hard on you too.” 

“It’s okay, Mom. I know how hard all of this has been on you. Losing Graham. The show ending. You just needed some space.” 

Emma hugged him tighter and both their ice creams fell to the floor. Neither could stop laughing while they tried cleaning it up as best they could while the girl who worked there glared at them. 

The ice cream was almost enough to distract Emma from stressing out over the movie. Or at least it was until her phone dinged with a text. Three words came up from Regina Mills: You got it.


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

Filming for “No Place Like Home” started the next week. Emma met with the director a couple days before filming was set to begin. Robert “Rumple” Gold was clearly going to be a difficult man to work for. He had this laugh that made him seem a more than a little psychotic. Not to mention that fact that he wanted to be called Rumple. What kind of name is that? Rumple as in Rumpelstiltskin? Emma remembered the story of Rumpelstiltskin from when she was a child; she made a mental not to keep her son away from him.

Emma hadn’t met anyone else yet. Hell she didn’t even know who her co-star was going to be yet. Rumple mentioned that they had someone recognizable for the role but Emma didn't know who it was yet. According to Gold (Emma refused to call him Rumple) she’d be filming with him on their first day of filming so she’d be meeting him pretty soon.

~O.o.O.o.O~

“I’ll never get over how weird it is that you and Regina are actually friends now.” Emma said to her sister-in-law, Mary Margaret, as they stood around the Nolan kitchen. Emma and Henry had been coming to David and Mary Margaret’s house for dinner every Sunday night since Henry found Emma. Regina had started coming with them about six months ago, but it would never stop being weird to Emma. Regina and Mary Margaret hated each other when they were growing up and in the same classes at school, but they both seemed to be making an effort now.

Emma met David Nolan in a high school acting class she took in freshman year that David was a lighting tech for. They quickly became close friends and when Emma’s foster father proved himself to be violent, David told his mom and Ruth took her in right away. David and Mary Margaret started dating in their last year of high school and her and Emma had been close friends since.

Emma had been there for David when Ruth died and when he went through drama with his father, and David had been there for Emma when she went through her disastrous relationship with Neal and when she got pregnant and then gave up the baby. Years later and they were still close. Emma was supportive of David and Mary Margaret trying for a baby, and they were there for her when Henry found her.

“I know, I know,” Mary Margaret said, taking a roast out of the oven, “It’ll never stop being weird to me either, but we really are trying for Henry’s sake.”

“I know. I appreciate it. I know Regina and I have had some issues in the past but with her being my agent and Henry to worry about I can’t afford to get on her bad side.”

Mary Margaret had to let out a laugh at that. “You wouldn’t want her to get you a terrible role after all.”

“I’d take any role right now, bad or not.”

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about that then. You have a great role.”

“I guess we’ll see about that.”

~O.o.O.o.O~

“So who’s playing your love interest?” Mary Margaret asked as they all sat around the dinner table.

“I don’t know,” Emma shrugged.              

“Wait, I haven’t told you yet?” Regina asked.

“Nope,” Emma replied, popping the “p”.

“It’s Killian Jones,” Regina said smugly.

Mary Margaret gasped and Henry smiled. Emma just looked confused. “Who?”

“You don’t know who Killian Jones is?” both Mary Margaret and Henry cried out in unison. Henry looked embarrassed for his mother and Mary Margaret looked aghast.

“Even I know who he is,” David pitched in—not helpfully.

“Is someone going to tell me who he is?”

“He’s only been in like every rom com in the last six years!” Henry said excitedly.

“How exactly do you know this?” Regina asked her son sternly. “Miss Swan, what kind of movies have you been showing our son?”

“Hey! Don’t look at me. I don’t even know who the guy is.”

Emma could see that Henry was trying not to look at Mary Margaret and that Mary Margaret looked guilty. “Okay, so I may have showed him a couple of rom coms when I baby sat him,” the brunette admitted. “I didn’t show him any with anything bad.”

Emma just shook her head and Regina didn’t look as appalled as Emma thought she would.

“Anyways,” Regina dismissed. She turned to Emma. “You should at least go through his IMDb before you meet him.”

“Why? Will it break his ego if some girl doesn’t know who he is and doesn’t swoon over him?”

“No, because you have to work with him and you should probably know his previous work. You can bet he will have looked up yours,” Regina answered.

Emma didn’t want to watch a bunch of rom coms—hell she didn’t even like rom coms—especially for some pretty boy actor who probably thought he was all that.

“Come on, Mom. I’ll show you my favourite one!”

“We’ll make an evening of it,” Mary Margaret chipped in.

Emma rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long night.

 

~O.o.O.o.O~

 

He was a good actor. It absolutely killed Emma to admit that, but he was actually a good actor. Regina left right after dinner but Henry, David, and Mary Margaret made Emma sit through three Killian Jones movies. The movies themselves were just okay but she found herself being drawn to Killian’s character in every movie. He made her feel for him more than characters in those movies usually did. By the third movie she was actually enjoying herself.

“So?” her son asked her.

Emma shrugged. “They were okay.” She wasn’t about to give her son and sister-in-law the satisfaction of knowing she thinks Killian is a good actor.

“But you liked Killian, right?”

“He’s okay, I guess.” If by okay, you mean talented and hot. Like really, really hot. With those blue eyes and that smirk… focus Emma!

She couldn’t let how attractive he was get in the way. She couldn’t lose focus on this role. She couldn’t screw up and she hoped that Killian felt the same way.

 

~O.o.O.o.O~

 

“Wait, who?”

“I just told you. Emma Swan,” Killian repeated.

“No, I heard you the first time. I just needed to double check. I love her! I can’t believe that’s who you’re going to be working with!” Belle exclaimed. Belle and Killian had been friends for a long time and she couldn’t get over the fact he was going to be working with Emma Swan.

“Who is she?” he asked without a clue.

“Only the star of my favourite show ever!”

Killian tried to wrack his brain for the name of it. “Oh right… that hunter show.”

“Huntsman,” Belle corrected.

“Didn’t that show just get cancelled?”

“Yeah,” Belle said sadly. “The lead actor died on set. Heart attack. I heard he died in Emma’s arms.”

Killian knew exactly what that was like. Just over six years ago his brother Liam had died in his arms. It was one of the reasons he had quit the Navy and finally perused acting. He knew losing a co-star and losing a brother weren’t the same thing, but they had both suffered loss. Was Emma as lost as he was?


	3. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

 

**A/N: I'm sorry for how long this took. Life got a wee bit crazy. Thanks ever so to my beta ultraluckycatnd.**

* * *

 

The first day on a new set was always nerve wracking. What if Emma didn’t get along with the people? What if she screwed up the role? This set seemed especially nerve wracking for some reason. Emma looked around, hoping she could find a friendly face. She thought maybe starting with the PAs would be a good idea. You would think that she would have gotten over her nerves through the years, but she was still as anxious on the first day on a new set as she was the first time she ever acted.

‘Just hang out by the food, and you’ll be fine until someone calls you onto set,’ Emma told herself.

“Hello, love,” a voice came from behind her. Accent? Smooth, charming tone? Must be...

“Killian Jones,” she said turning around.

“Ah, so you’ve heard of me.”

“Apparently everyone has.” Maybe she should have pretended she still didn’t know who he was.

“Apparently?” The way he raised his eyebrow when he asked the question was sinful. Damn.

“You walk around expecting everyone to know who you are, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t expect it. But it seems to happen anyways.” He gives her a pointed look before continuing. “You, however; you’re something of an open book. You’re both afraid of the fame and crave it. Someone left you, didn’t they?” He didn’t actually need her to answer that question. “Now you’re afraid to show yourself so you hide behind the character you played, hoping that no one will question the actress behind the bail bondsperson. But now your days of hiding are over. The show’s done and thanks to your co-star’s death, all eyes are on you.”

Emma was stunned. “Why would you think that?”

Killian smirked. “Like I said, open book.”

“How would you know that?”

“You’re not the only one who hides, Swan.”

“Clearly you looked me up. I’m impressed,” Emma said wryly.

“Like you looked me up?”

He had her there.

“Are you two going to flirt all day, or can we start now?” Gold said, coming up behind them.

Both quietly followed, but Emma knew this conversation wasn’t done yet.

 

~O.o.O.o.O~

 

It was damn cold outside. Emma wished she could bundle up more, but here she was with only a thin jacket over her t-shirt. At least Killian could stay warm under all the leather he was wearing— leather that he looked _far_ too good wearing. They were standing outside a lake in the middle of winter. Sure, there might not be snow, but that didn’t mean the air wasn’t still frigid.

The scene they were filming today was a sword fight. No better way to start off an action movie than with a good old fight scene. Killian’s character was fighting with Emma’s over a compass that would get her home.

The two were supposed to be sword fighting, but it wasn’t going well. Luckily they wouldn’t actually be filming this scene until after they both had sword fighting lessons. Killian was already a natural with a sword. Emma, though? Not so much. She kept fumbling with it and looked more than a little awkward.

“Can’t handle a sword, Swan?” Killian asked with another eyebrow raise. He seriously needed to stop doing that.

“I can handle a sword just fine,” she said back, flirtier than she intended. Maybe giving back as good as she got wasn’t a bad thing. Show him he wasn’t going to get to her.

“You’re too tense, love,” he told her. How exactly was she supposed to be less tense right now? “Just relax a little. You need to loosen up and let the sword become an extension of your arm. You aren’t holding the weapon; _you_ are the weapon.”

Emma didn’t want to listen to him, but he seemed know what he was talking about. She tried to pretend the sword was an extension of her arm and used gentler, subtle movements.

“There you go,” he encouraged. “You’re starting to get it now.”

She smiled, unable to help herself. They weren’t even supposed to be doing the chorography right now, just running the lines, but she couldn’t help but be proud of herself for getting it.

“Do you want to try it with the lines now, love?”

She nodded and got back into position. He jabbed towards her and she fell to the ground. Killian sneered at her, the man no longer recognizable behind the character he’s playing. “Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you’ve left me no other choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you’ll feel it.”

Emma shivered. She knew he was playing a character but he was already getting to her. This was only the first scene they were doing together; if it kept going like this, she’d be screwed.

“What are you guys doing?” Gold demanded, heading towards them.

“Practicing the scene,” Emma explained. “Isn’t that what you told us to do?”

“I meant run lines, not try to kill each other with swords!”

“I think we were doing a fine job,” Killian said. “I know what I’m doing.”

“You keep thinking that, dearie,” Gold said coldly. Emma had no idea what was going on but clearly Killian had some sort of history with Gold.

“I will,” Killian seethed back.

“If you’re not careful someone is going to get hurt.”

“Is that a threat?”

“I’m just here to make a movie,” Gold said darkly. “What you do is your choice.”

“I’m impressed that you know the meaning of that word,” Killian retorted.

“Watch it, Jones.” With one last glare, Gold stormed off, muttering something about getting ready for the next scene.

Once he was gone, Emma turned to Killian. “What the hell was that?” she snapped.

“Nothing,” Killian lied. “I just don’t like him.”

Emma gave him a pointed look. He ignored it. Clearly he wasn’t going to elaborate. “Fine!” she huffed. “Keep your secrets. I don’t care! Just don’t screw up this movie for me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a second.”

“I would despair if you did.”

 


End file.
